Optoelectronics R&D Lead — RF/Optical Systems

Samtec; Santa Clara, San Diego, Colorado Springs (CA, CA, CO); On-site; USD 176,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus (3x/year)

Comprehensive medical/dental/vision

Job summary

Samtec in the Silicon Valley Design Center in Santa Clara, CA, seeks an Optoelectronics R&D Technical Leader to own the technical direction for optical transceiver products. You will lead a multi‑disciplinary team across EE, RF, optics, mechanical, and firmware through the full product development lifecycle.

Responsibilities include design and development of hybrid RF‑optics modules, modeling and simulation with ADS/HFSS/Zemax, hands‑on testing with network analyzers and optical tools, resolving

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in optoelectronic transceiver product design, focusing on integrated RF-optics systems.
• Experience with RF design tools (Keysight ADS, Ansys HFSS) and optical simulation software (Zemax, OptiSystem).
• Hands‑on testing with RF and optical test equipment (signal generators, VNAs, BER testers, optical spectrum analyzers).
• Strong understanding of RF principles (modulation, impedance, EMI) and fiber-optic concepts.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop hybrid RF-optics products (RF-over-fiber modules, optical transceivers) prioritizing bandwidth, SI, and power efficiency.
• Modeling and simulation of RF/optical subsystems using ADS, HFSS, Zemax to predict performance and guide designs.
• Lead cross-disciplinary teams to translate requirements into metrics and drive prototype bring-up, integration, and validation.
• Troubleshoot RF–optical interaction issues (impedance, noise, optical loss) and ensure designs are scalable and compliant with standards (ITU, MIL-STD).

Skills

optoelectronic transceiver design

RF-over-fiber concepts

RF design principles

optoelectronic concepts

design for RF-optical integration

communication and documentation

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, RF Engineering, Photonics, or related field

Tools

Keysight ADS

Ansys HFSS

Zemax

OptiSystem

Job description

Samtec in the Silicon Valley Design Center in Santa Clara, CA, seeks an Optoelectronics R&D Technical Leader to own the technical direction for optical transceiver products. You will lead a multi‑disciplinary team across EE, RF, optics, mechanical, and firmware through the full product development lifecycle.

Responsibilities include design and development of hybrid RF‑optics modules, modeling and simulation with ADS/HFSS/Zemax, hands‑on testing with network analyzers and optical tools, resolving